An inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag, is inflated by inflation gas provided by an inflator. The inflator contains a body of ignitable gas generating material. The inflator further includes an igniter to ignite the gas generating material.
The igniter contains a charge of ignition material. The igniter also contains a bridgewire which is supported in a heat transferring relationship with the ignition material. When the igniter is actuated, an actuating level of electric current is directed through the bridgewire in the igniter. This causes the bridgewire to become resistively heated sufficiently to ignite the ignition material. The ignition material then produces combustion products which, in turn, ignite the gas generating material.